Note: Javascript is disabled or is not supported by your browser. For this reason, some items on this page will be unavailable. For more information about this message, please visit this page: About CDC.gov.

Based on an evaluation of environmental information, ATSDR has reached the following
conclusions:

Contaminated shellfish located adjacent to Site 10 and along Boggy Spit

may have posed a health hazard to people consuming large quantities of fish over extended periods in the past. Exposures to arsenic and BEHP may have posed a health hazard to subsistence and recreational fishers.

does not pose a current health hazard; (In 1988, the Navy issued a shellfish ban for
areas adjacent to Site 10 and along Boggy Spit. The ban, which is still in place,
reduces public health hazards by preventing consumption of potentially contaminated
shellfish. Although it is impossible to conclusively state that nobody is trespassing
and violating the ban, the Navy's security has never reported any occurrences of
trespassing, and signs are posted to inform people of the bans in these areas.
Additional signs in several languages will be posted in the near future. If the ban were
not in place, shellfish contaminants could pose a health hazard to subsistence and
recreational fishers. ATSDR recommends, therefore, that people adhere to the ban.)

will not pose a future health hazard. (Measures taken by the Navy will prevent future health hazards by
 minimizing further contamination of the marine environment, and
 ensuring that the beaches remain closed until the contaminant concentrations decrease to levels that do not pose a health hazard.)

Based on limited past sampling data, ATSDR concludes that shellfish consumed along the
north-northwestern shores of Marrowstone Island may have posed a past health hazard.
Based on data recently collected by ATSDR, current and future consumption of shellfish
is not expected to pose health hazards, however. Although community members suspect
that contaminants from Port Hadlock's Site 10 could affect Marrowstone Island's shores,
the Final Site Work Plan, Site 10 North End Landfill document and the ROD do not
identify Site 10 as a likely source.

Groundwater potentially impacted by Site 21

cannot be evaluated for the past scenario; (Water supply wells Nos. 1 and 2 might have been used from 1941 to 1945, but this information has not been confirmed. In
addition, data are not available to assess the quality of groundwater during this time.)

does not pose a current health hazard; (Backup water supply wells Nos. 1 and 2 are
the only production wells located in the area. These wells are not currently in use,
thus they do not pose a current health hazard.)

will not pose a future health hazard. (It is highly unlikely that future consumption of
groundwater in the vicinity of Site 21 will pose a public health hazard. The
Washington Department of Ecology, EPA, and the Navy are analyzing groundwater
monitoring data collected from the area. If these agencies decide that contaminant
concentrations pose a public health hazard, backup water supply wells Nos. 1 and 2 will be abandoned and deed restrictions will be implemented to prevent the
installation of future wells.

Shellfish located along the eastern shores of Indian Island and between Indian and
Marrowstone Islands are unlikely to have been impacted by Site 10 contaminants or Site
12 groundwater discharge. Additionally, reports claiming that fuel from moored ships
leaked in this area have not been substantiated. (There are no environmental sampling
records indicating that potential leaks from moored ships affected environmental media. In
addition, the ships were removed from the harbor about 50 years ago.)

Groundwater from Marrowstone Island is unlikely to have been impacted by the migration
of Port Hadlock contaminants across Kilisut Harbor because the island's groundwater is
not hydrogeologically connected to any other water source.

The other 14 Port Hadlock sites do not pose a public health hazard because (1) no site-related contaminants are present; (2) contaminant concentrations detected are too low to
pose a health hazard; (3) past and current exposures to the general public have been
prevented by strict security measures; (4) past and current exposures to Naval and
remedial workers are infrequent and conducted with personal protective equipment; and/or
(5) affected areas have been, or will be, remediated.

The public health action plan (PHAP) for Port Hadlock contains a description of actions taken
and those to be taken by ATSDR, the Navy, EPA, and the Washington Department of Ecology at
and in the vicinity of the site subsequent to the completion of this public health assessment. The
purpose of the PHAP is to ensure that this public health assessment not only identifies potential
and ongoing public health hazards, but provides a plan of action designed to mitigate and prevent
adverse human health effects resulting from exposure to hazardous substances in the
environment. The public health actions at Port Hadlock that are completed, ongoing/planned, or
recommended are as follows:

Completed Actions

Site 10

The Navy issued a shellfish harvesting ban in 1988 for the areas immediately adjacent to
Site 10 (beach 19) and along Boggy Spit (beaches 1 and 2).

The Navy completed construction of a landfill cap and erosion protection measures in
1997.

Marrowstone Island

ATSDR collected shellfish samples along the north/northwestern shores of Marrowstone
Island in April 1998.

Site 21

Additional monitoring wells were installed in 1995.

The Navy recently completed a 2-year groundwater monitoring program.

The Other Port Hadlock Sites

Areas with soil contamination have been excavated.

Underground storage tanks (USTs) have been removed from several locations.

Ongoing and Planned Actions

Site 10

Groundwater, sediment, and shellfish monitoring programs are currently being conducted.

Additional signs advising of the fishing ban will be posted in several languages in the near
future.

Site 21

The Washington Department of Ecology, EPA, and the Navy are analyzing monitoring
data. If these agencies decide that contaminant concentrations pose a potential public
health hazard, backup water supply wells Nos. 1 and 2 will be abandoned and deed
restrictions will be implemented to prevent the installation of future wells.

The Other Port Hadlock Sites

Investigations are ongoing at Sites 33 and 35 (see Appendix A). A removal action is planned for Site 33.

Recommended Actions

ATSDR recommends that people adhere to the shellfish harvesting ban to reduce potential
exposures to shellfish contamination.

ATSDR plans to evaluate the Navy's shellfish monitoring reports when they become
available.

CERCLA requires ATSDR to conduct needed follow-up health actions in communities
near hazardous waste sites. To identify appropriate actions, ATSDR created the Health
Activities Recommendation panel (HARP). HARP has evaluated the data and information
contained in the Port Hadlock PHA for appropriate public health actions. ATSDR's
Division of Health Education and Promotion will be scoping for potential future education activities.